Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    from saturday. This is an Impreza RS with an intake, exhaust, and some suspension work. Finished 1:47.4. You can see me just finishing about halfway through...really just a blurry white Outback shape in the background. This is a kind of big, so I only recommend it to those with cable modems:


    http://eric.brewhaha.net/new/video/Subaru_Rallyx.mpg

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    If you need the trailer, just swing by, and pick it up.

    Bob
  • dsackmandsackman Member Posts: 145
    My brand new Outback Sedan I wrecked about 4 weeks ago, loosing control in the snow is back. What a pleasant experience from a bunch of professional and helpful people.

    First the Insurance: Progressive
    I reported the accident on a Saturday afternoon. Within 18 hours a representative contacted me and we made an appointment when he could assess the damage. He arranged at the appointed time and did an assessment there and then on his vehicle based computer. I asked for a reputable body shop and he sent me to M&T Autobody in Concord, CA.

    The Body Shop: M&T Autobody.
    I drove the car there and within 15 minutes all paperwork was done and I could leave. I asked the "Team Leader" (Vince Pita) to contact me if he experiences any problems with parts. The car was ready a week ago, but I could only pick it up this morning. 3 weeks to fix $6,000 worth of damage. All with OEM parts. My initial assessment of the work is that it is good. The paint matches and all body parts look exactly lined up.

    I will certainly recommend both Progressive and M&T Autobody.

    Daniel
  • dsackmandsackman Member Posts: 145
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Lucien: Cool! I just found a website, www.crazydriving.net, where that video would fit right in. Check it out - but beware, there are some monster files there!

    Daniel, congrats on finding a good body shop. I hope your car truly is as good as new! Keep us informed.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • texsubarutexsubaru Member Posts: 242
    Posting this pretty much solely for Juice, since it's not a Subaru tale (but a story that anybody who's ever really loved their car can relate to): A story written by a friend of mine about a Miata that I rode in a time or two before it's untimely demise: http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/thursday/life_entertainment_5.html
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    WaaaH!!!!!!!
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Got th RallyCross results in. I finished 6th in class, out of 10 cars total, 31st overall (out of 56). Best time in class was 1:44.8, from an Eagle Talon Tsi turbo AWD. Ain't no catching THAT guy in an Outback. Best Subaru in class was 1:47.4. Still tough for me to catch. My best was 1:53.8

    there are a couple of not-too-interesting pix now in the gallery of my car, taken by Mike Moran (5th in class)
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Wow! Excellent debut! So, now that you've done both and as this is America where everything is black and white and there are no shades of gray, which do you prefer, rally or track driving?

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bob - I may take you up on that offer this weekend. I'll contact you off-line.

    Thanks, tex, I had found that link in the Miata topics. Sad, but luckily there are half a million of them on the road, and good used ones are plentiful.

    (to make this relevant...) They complement a Subaru really well, since they are really a fair weather friend. The story proves the point. I keep telling people the Miata is not an all-season car. Even with snow tires, it's so small and vulnerable.

    That's cool that you came in right behind Mike, Loosh. I've actually driven his RS, and it's got quite a few mods. No way my Forester could keep up. Good driving, bud!

    -juice
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    ...I mad a LOT of mistakes. I have a lot to learn yet. Mike's car has almost bald RE92's too, so I am sure he would have done better on good tires.

    Mike-

    hmmm.....I think within the context of MY car, that rally driving is it. There was an e30 325is out that day that was fast, but not as fast as me :) Can't say that about those BMWCCA track days :( Plus I like the feeling of controlling a drift. If I had more power, or if a certain factory backed performance arm would offer a factory installed blower upgrade (like TRD, fer instance, ahem, Patti?), then I would say I like both equally well- apples and oranges.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have to agree. Why play 2nd fiddle to Toyota?

    I've ridden in a turbo 2.5l boxer, and the power was intoxicating. I can't imagine a lot of current owners wouldn't seriously consider a factory-backed kit like TRD offers (on the tame Camry Solara, of all cars).

    Heck, I'd have to do it. Well, unless they offer a turbo Forester soon.

    -juice
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Loosh- Loved the report! SOA should get you to narrate their new WRX TV ads! I owned an Eagle Talon Tsi turbo AWD a few years back... it was a blast to drive. I'm interested to know how the WRX compares to it.

    -Frank P.
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    There are experimental airplanes, possibly flying above our heads at this very moment (said Chicken Little, hehe), that would instantly spiral out of control and crash without computer assisted control of the aircraft. Human beings simply cannot control them by themselves.

    I'm not saying that your beloved Merc is poorly designed. I'm commenting on the possibilities inherent in computer-assisted intervention. Heck, they already do it with brakes, if you ask me, by adding anti-lock doodads to a pickup truck or somesuch with no weight and drum brakes on the rear wheels. It still won't stop worth a hoot but at least it will be a lot less likely to swap ends in a panic situation. I'll bet money that the anti-lock stuff was cheaper to implement than rear disk brakes.

    Regards,
    -wdb
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    The WRX wagon that is. I picked it up from Carter Subaru last night. Didn't leave the dealership until 10pm. I was the last WRX they PDI'd that day. I met several other i-club posters there picking up their sedans. Poor Joe, our salesguy was working on pure adrenaline to be sure! He gave us 1st allocators (Bush speak?, sorry) metal white signs engraved in red lettering that say "Reserved For WRX Parking Only"
    and something about 1st allocation order, sold by Joe Spitz, Carter Subaru. It's kind of cool although I don't know where I'll put it. Joe was by far and away the best car sales guy I've ever dealt with. Carter was great too and they will definitely be getting great scores from me when it comes time to fill out the "survey".

    A few impressions about the car (I know that's what you all really want to hear):

    First off, I only live 5-miles from Carter so not a whole lot of driving yet. Coming from the interior of my 00'OB Ltd, the interior of the WRX is econocar like. Mostly the materials seem lower grade but still well constructed. Of course, the front seats and Momo steering wheel are excellent and the pattern of the seat material (in daylight) is indeed somewhat 3D...cool. The std stereo has decent sound but not great...anyway who cares, I'm listening to music of the motor. There is more headroom than my OB w/the dual sunroofs and in reality the difference seems much greater. The rear seat legroom is not bad at all, not much different than the OB. I think the actual diff is .6" less.

    The handling is quite flat and controlled. I know that people who have driven both the sedan & wagon report that there is more roll w/the wagon but it doesn't seem intrusive to me. I haven't driven the sedan yet so I don't have a personal comparison. It is, however, going to be difficult keeping this thing under 4k rpms for the 1k break-in period. This baby wants to rev!
    The shifting action is nice and tight w/good feel. The clutch seem a little more driver-involved than the other wagon I test drove. By that I mean that it has more feel as to when it takes-up. The wagon I test drove was more benign (again, my opinion) like a Honda's or Acura's.

    The WRX is a very solid platform and picks up speed in a very deceptive way when you're just cruising. Definitely have to watch myself w/this thing!

    Anyhow, sorry for the long post but you know "A kid in a candy store" and all. I will give more impressions as I drive it more. I will try and make the Thursday chat but no promises if you know what I mean. :-)

    Later,
    Stephen

    Anyhow
  • soon2bsubeesoon2bsubee Member Posts: 137
    I heard rumors on the i-club that you slept in your car last night and was woken up this morning by the paper boy......
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    You are in Concord? What Dealer do you use for service? I hope you did not loose control in the snow in Concord....he he he. What happen? Were you in Tahoe? I am in W.C.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Congrats Stephen. Sleep tight!

    -juice
  • dsackmandsackman Member Posts: 145
    I live in both Concord CA and Redwood Shores CA(weekends Concord, week in Redwood Shores close to my office). The body shop is in Concord and I used to use Carlsens here in Redwood City for service. Not anymore! I may try Diablo if they are open on a Saturday. Do you have any suggestions on servicing?

    We were coming back from Yosemite via 120 about a month ago in a serious snow storm with close to 12 inches of snow, slush and ice on the road. I was doing about 15-20 mph at the time when I just lost the car and slid into a barrier. No injuries and about $6,000 worth of damage to the car.

    The snow in Concord never bothered me :-). It was funny when they closed the road to the top of Mt. Diablo the other day due to snow.

    Daniel
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Daniel -- I got my Forester back from Carmat in Santa Cruz yesteday. Man, I was happy to see my ride back!

    Stephen -- Congratulations! Keep us posted of your WRX experiences.

    Ken
  • dsackmandsackman Member Posts: 145
    I was equally happy to get the Outback Sedan back. I really enjoy the Forester as a utility vehicle, she feels somewhat more responsive, but the sedan feels somewhat less cramped and more comfortable. My wife enjoys the Forester better, so we are contented. I use the Forester when I need to haul things and the sedan for every day riding.

    We had discussions on the brakes quite a few times and I believe it is just impressions or characteristics of individual vehicles. The sedan brakes feel much more sharp than the Forester brakes. Whatever, they both brake very well indeed.

    Daniel
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Diablo is the one that charged me 22 dollars to cut a master key. That was the parts guy. The service guy Paul is actually very nice. However, I am not too thrilled with them as their sales guys left a bad after taste with me. They were really husslers and not nice at all. The salesman wrote us a hand written note telling us thank you for buying a car from them. Never showed me how to use a single button or dial on the car. I was dissapointed with that! Why are you leaving Redwood Shores??? Diablo is not open on Saturdays!

    The only one open on Saturdays is in Oakland. I have never been there! Yes we did have snow in Mt. Diablo. It looked nice!
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Congrats Stephen on the WRX. I'm curious as to how it compares in size to the OB. Is it a lot smaller?

    Mark
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Just filled the tank and MPG's have gone down slightly in proportion with my foot on the gas going down slightly. 24.6 mpg's this tank. It may have something to do with that 5.0 Mustang that tried to pass me as we both took off from a red light. Should have seen the look on that guys face when he realized he wasn't able to get past a SUBARU :0
    Ahhh .. maybe there were a few other similar situations .. yeah .. maybe a few. It's hard to keep your foot off of this thing!

    Loosh - Nice going big guy! Do any damage to the undercarrage? Man that sure looks like fun.

    - hutch
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ah, therein lies the beauty of the WRX. Too bad the cat's out of the bag (pardon the pun), pretty soon noone will be surprised any more!

    You reach 1000 miles yet? I gotta find that helmet...

    ;-)

    -juice
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    When you're the only Outback in the parking lot at work, you tend to notice when others appear. Today, I spotted what appears to be a 2000 or 2001 Outback non-limited. It's winestone - like mine. Doesn't have the rear spoiler or hood deflector. From a far, it looked like the wheels were the same as the limiteds - the gold accents (unlike mine which have grey accents). I also noticed a Subaru America emblem on the front fenders directly next to the wheels and then one also on the rear hatch on the lower right side.

    Anyone heard of a Subaru America package? The person must be from one of our plants in North Carolina, which is what the tags were on the car.

    -Brian
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, Limiteds have the gold trim on the wheels, others don't.

    Never heard of Subaru America. Could just be a dealer accessory package? I've seen stranger things.

    -juice
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    juice: Catching up and read your post on the swing set haul. I'd have to agree. I made a round trip to Baltimore on Sunday to pick up a pair of antique mahogany drop leaf end tables that my wife won on ebay. On the way down I also picked up a cheap entertainment unit at Ikea White Marsh that I intend to use in my basement hideaway. The Forester handled all handily and averaged 26.7 mpg on the trip (average speeds about 70-72 in moderate to heavy traffic).

    Loosh: I guess I'm outweighed on the 2002 decision. If you do that well in rallycross with the OB, then you don't really need the BMW! Now where can I learn to do this?

    Ed
  • yellowbikedonyellowbikedon Member Posts: 228
    Brian,

    Perhaps you saw a VDC or LL Bean model. These have the gold trim on the wheels.

    Don
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I'm pretty sure it wasn't a limited, since I didn't see that on the rear hatch. On the hatch, the Subaru America emblem was in the spot where the limited emblem would go.

    A dealer accessory package specific to North Carolina perhaps?

    -Brian
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    No learning needed. I am a complete rookie. Well, I have taken a couple of driving courses, but nothing for rallycross per se. THe Forester would be fine! Just come on down for the next one, register, and give it a whirl. Go as slow or as fast as you want to get a feel for it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I can imagine how slow my times would be. I'd probably pull a 1:47. As in one HOUR, 47 MINUTES!

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Not Subaru America, but some other thing like "rockie mt. edition" (in Rahway, NJ none the less) it was a dealer installed option which basically was leather seats and some extra trim inside.

    -mike
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Congrats. the wait is over enjoy, I am really enjoying the GT. fab car.
    Cheers Pat.
  • tlimatlima Member Posts: 124
    Thanks guys. The email I sent them yesterday resulted in a prompt reply with a tracking number. Fedex says tomorrow. Glad to have another source now since Darlene is out of action. :(

    -Tony
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    image


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  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    Congrats on your WRX. Keep us informed of your impressions!

    Patti
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    Well, that's a stumper. I've never heard of a "Subaru of America" edition. Even on our test vehicles, the badging is the same - we just have Manufacturer plates. If you see it again, try to get the VIN off the dash (without appearing to be lurking around a parked car). You can call me at 1-800-SUBARU3 (to maintain privacy) and I can look it up to see what I can find.

    Patti
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Detective work - I love it! Patti, actually the emblem just had Subaru America, without the 'of'.

    I have a feeling it's a dealer package. If it's at work again tomorrow, I'll see what else I can see. Maybe I'll bring my digicam with to snap a picture of the emblem.

    -Brian
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Like those Lone Star edition Ford F150s and such
  • texsubarutexsubaru Member Posts: 242
    Not that this is real apropros of subearu's observation, but it somehow reminded of something I've been meaning to ask for a while: Does anybody, perhaps our Aussie friends, know how the Australian Subarus that are used for police and other emergency work down under are equipped? Just sort of wondering if there's a Subaru police package available overseas.
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Mine not the cars. :)

    A.J. sorry .. not yet but I'm more than half way there! Start looking for the helmet.

    - hutch
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Last year I saw an Outback on the dealer's show floor that had a special edition package. It might have been the same one that Paisan saw. Outline of the Rockies embroidered into the leather seats? I think a customer special ordered it and then changed his mind.

    -Frank P.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    I saw the same car in Rahway that paisan mentioned. Probably the same as FrankP mentioned. It was well before the LL Bean/VDC's so I thought maybe it was some sort of test car. It definately had the mountains on the seat.
    We think the yellow WRX is a limited edition. That mountain package is the real limited Sube. :-)
    Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hutch, ahem, 4 AM?! Is that the only time you're not out driving?

    Stephen? Stephen? Come back...

    They're dropping like flies! ;-)

    That mountain package sounds pretty cool. But a real one ought to have a low range, heavy duty springs, extra torque, a transmission cooler, and beefier brakes. Heck, that could beef up the towing capacity too.

    -juicer
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Juice - I think that must be Pacific time. Note your post #1946 shows 6:36 .. no way you're at work then. I'm up to my [non-permissible content removed] in alligators at work. No time to play.

    Plus, Lynn & I have a 20 yr. old French guest for the next 3 months. She is getting all my spare time. Man, I'm getting a little taste of what being the father of a young girl is like. All boys are dirt and should be killed at the first available oportunity!!!!
    -hutch
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Gotcha.

    I have a daughter, and friends tell me I'm going to pay for all my sins...yikes!

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I also have a daughter and I can assure you, you are going to pay in spades,Ha!Ha!.
    Cheers Pat.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well I have to say, I truely enjoy my commute in in the morning. I wish I could drive myself but I can't. What's the next best thing? A bus driver who drives a 40' Coach Bus the same way you would drive your subie!

    My bus drive is awsome. In my area the X-press busses to manhattan leave about every 10-15 minutes @ 6am. Today my driver who is pretty much a copy of my driving, actually passed the bus that left 10 minutes before him and by the time we got to manhattan, we caught the 2nd one in front of him! He weaves through bumper to bumper traffic as if it's a slalom course! On top of it I get to sleep! I'm gonna miss him when he's on vacation next week :(

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Next meet is at Hutch's House! I'll bring Darin...he could use a date! :))

    Francophile isn't invited.
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